Girls Basketball: Morgan Park bounces Bolingbrook
By Tim O’Brien For Sun-Times Media December 15, 2012 10:48PM
Bolingbrook's Shay Robinson (22) blocks Morgan Park's Kierra Graves (5) during Saturday's game between Bolingbrook and Morgan Park high schools. | Paul Bergstrom ~ For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: January 17, 2013 6:52AM
The chances were there for Bolingbrook Saturday afternoon.
Morgan Park had a lead at the City Suburban Showcase at Chicago State University, but the chances were there.
But turnovers, failure to convert open layups and missed free throws doomed the Raiders in a 64-60 loss.
“It comes down to heart,” Bolingbrook coach Anthony Smith said. “You have to be able to execute down the stretch. It’s tough at the end of the game, but you have to do it. You’ve got to have the heart, got to have the discipline.”
Amarah Coleman scored 17 points for Bolingbrook (7-3) with Aysia Bugg scoring 15 of her own.
It was Bolingbrook’s first loss to an Illinois team other than Whitney Young, who has defeated Bolingbrook twice over the last five seasons, including in the supersectionals last season, and a 35-27 loss to Fenwick in the 2007 2A state championship.
Kierra Graves had a game-high 27 points for Morgan Park (6-1) including a 15-of-22 effort at the charity stripe.
The Raiders trailed by as many as seven points at 50-43 early in the fourth. Bugg scored seven points and a Destiny Harris corner 3-pointer helped Bolingbrook race back into the game, getting as close as a point at 59-58 on a Harris baseline drive.
Graves took over from there for Morgan Park, scoring on a drive down the lane and hitting three of four free throws in the final minute. The last two free throws put the Mustangs up 64-60. Shay Robinson missed a layup and Lexi Smith came up empty on two free throws with 10 seconds left in the game.
“We’re young, but we have to learn to stick with your fundamentals even when you’re under pressure,” Smith said. “Today was a chance for a lot of kids to see, and they had opportunities. We didn’t get it done, but it was there.”
Bolingbrook played without star senior Kennedy Cattenhead for a third straight game. She is visiting the doctor Wednesday to diagnose her knee injury sustained in a win over Lincoln-Way Central.
